Freezing for the First Time
by WornAndOneWinged
Summary: (An alternate ending) Hans sentences Elsa to death for treason and lies about the murder of Anna. Elsa, heartbroken and racked with guilt, accepts her fate and asks only that she may be allowed to carry out her sentence and end her own life. Anna arrives just in time to see her sister fall to her death...


_Oh dear, here we go... All right, so I was watching Frozen and this question suddenly came to my mind: How can I make the ending even more gut-wrenching and tragic than it already is? And then THIS happened. Of course, I'm in no way saying that this ending is better than the original one, (I would be extremely surprised to find something like this in any Disney movie... *shudder*) but I just wanted to try this out and see what would happen, so yeah. _

_This is the part of the story right before the very end when it's all happy and Kristoff gets a new sled and everything else. And just assume that the rest of the story plays out as it did in the movie when my version of the story ends._

* * *

I had never really felt the cold before. It had always just been _there_. I had never been affected by it or even noticed it before. It was a feeling that I really wasn't familiar with at all. But still, as I sat on the hard bed in my dark prison cell encased in thoughts of self-hatred and despair, I think I finally experienced what it really feels like. The sadness and helplessness raging together inside me created a feeling that I can only describe as being 'cold'. I was resistant enough to it that I didn't shiver, but my whole body was in so much pain, stinging and throbbing and causing me to feel so weak that I couldn't even stand up anymore. Not that I'd get very far if I could, anyway. The thick, silver shackles that sealed my hands inside made sure of that. I could feel the ice forming from my fingertips start to stick to the inside of the shackles and it spiked inwards, pricking my skin. I had to get out of there. I was a danger to Arendelle and everyone around me and the only way I could fix what I had done was to get as far away from my home as possible. The whole kingdom was trapped in an eternal winter that I had caused. I could see the mess I had made from the long window in my cell, a blinding light shining from it as it reflected the snow and ice outside.

I strained again, trying to pull my hands out of the shackles, the chains rattling as if they were laughing at my attempts.  
"Come on…" I whispered as I tried again, standing up from the bed so that I could be in a stronger position.  
I channelled the ice from my hands and forced them to point outwards rather than inwards in the hopes of breaking through the metal. The wind was screaming outside and I looked out of the window at the snow storm that was rushing through the kingdom. White. The colour I associated with loneliness was gushing over the land and getting thicker by the minute and there was nothing I could do to stop it.  
"No…" I breathed, my heart sinking at the sight of it.  
There was a familiar cracking and crackling sound of ice forming behind me and I looked back over my shoulder to see a layer of frost starting to spread across the walls of my cell. A thought of the homes of Arendelle's innocent and helpless residents filling up with ice as they desperately fled to find shelter was enough to bring the sting of tears to my eyes

I looked down at my shackles and gritted my teeth in determination, my hands balling into tight fists as I pulled back, tugging on the chains that bound me. I grunted on the third pull, straining as hard as I could even though I knew it was probably in vain.

At the same time, I heard voices coming from behind the cell's door. They were men who I assumed were most likely guards, saying things like, "Hurry up!" and "She's dangerous!" They were trying to force the door open and having no luck because the lock was frozen solid. The ice on the walls started to spread quicker as I felt a panic rising up in my chest. _They've come for me…_ Prince Hans had told me that he was going to do his best to get me out of there, but the harshness of the guard's tones made it obvious that the last thing they intended to do was set me free. There was only one other reason I could think of as to why they would be trying to break into my cell so aggressively. They wanted to get rid of me. If I was gone, Arendelle would thaw and everyone would be safe. In my last moment of desperation, I created an ice explosion that broke the shackles around my hands and also shattered the window behind me, creating a gaping hole in the wall. But I didn't run out through it like I was originally planning to do. Instead, I just stood there breathing manually as I stared into space. I was questioning a lot of things that I couldn't seem to make sense of anymore. Running away wasn't going to solve this problem. I could see the scene playing out in my mind; Anna skipping cheerfully through a green field as the sun lit up her freckled face. _Maybe it would be better if I wasn't here anymore. Maybe it really is the only way._

The door burst open, sending shards of ice in my direction and I turned my head to the side and shut my eyes to avoid my face getting struck by them. Four guards made their way into the prison cell, staring down at me with gazes as cold as my ice. They stepped sideways to allow Hans to enter and the prince gave me what appeared to be a look of sympathy.

"Queen Elsa," he began in a grave tone. "You are hereby charged with treason and murder. On behalf of Arendelle, I sentence you to-"

"W-wait, hold on," I stopped him, nearly choking on the lump in my throat as I heard him utter that ghastly word. I stuttered before I finally whispered my question. "What did you say?"

"Anna returned from the mountains weak and cold. She said that _you _froze her heart," Hans said, his accusing gaze feeling like an ice pick through my chest.

I whispered a half-silent "No…" as my eyes widened with realisation.

"I tried to save her, but it was too late. Her skin was _ice_, her hair turned _white_," Hans continued.

I wanted to scream at him to stop talking because I already knew what he was trying to say, but shock and denial froze my dark lips shut.

"Your sister is _dead_… because of you."

My heart shattered and my senses numbed as Hans' words echoed through my head. I stood there as I started to shake, unable to stop the feeling of anguish and despair as it crushed my spirit completely. Tears warmed my cheeks for a second before they turned cold against my skin. I let out a cry of defeat as I sunk to my knees, sobbing like the world was ending. And to me, it had. Anna was my everything; my one ray of hope in my dark, lonely world that I had been desperately trying to protect all this time. But that light had been extinguished by my own doing and I had never felt more lost and alone than I did in that moment of grief. As I collapsed, the air around me stilled and the howling wind outside was silenced. Snowflakes hung frozen in mid-air. The blizzard was finally over, but my ice now touched every part of the land that it possibly could and showed no sign of thawing.

Hans and the guards stood there by the doorway, bowing their heads as they listened to my sobs. I finally brushed the back of my hand over my cheeks to wipe away my tears and wrapped my arms around myself, shifting into a kneeling position on the hard stone floor. My body convulsed as I sobbed again, but I pushed myself to speak in a broken voice, locking my eyes onto one of the floating snowflakes in front of me so that I didn't have to make eye-contact with Hans.

"And… what is my sentence?"

Hans gave a sigh as he took his time to give me a reply. "You are to face immediate execution."

My eyes closed tightly and I grit my teeth, feeling only half a second of fear before it vanished. My heart was so broken that it was too empty to feel anything. I pushed my hands into the floor to steady myself as I slowly got to my feet, my weak legs shaking a little. As I set my gaze on Hans, I wondered how he viewed me now. I probably looked quite unkempt with my hair floating off in messy directions. My shimmering blue dress, not fit to adorn royalty. Definitely not the way a queen should look. What would my parents think of me now? I could see a stern, disappointed look in my father's eyes; my mother tearing up at the sight of me. I had let them down. I had let everyone down. My kingdom, my sister, myself… _What have I done…_

I drew in a deep breath, my chest rising and tightening inside. "I won't fight back. I accept my sentence."

The auburn-haired prince narrowed his eyes, looking slightly suspicious of me. I let my chest fall with a shaky sigh and looked away.

"Please. You may do what you like with me. I… I deserve it."

"So be it," Hans gave a nod and the guards moved in, two on either side of me to prevent me from escaping if I tried.

The sound of Hans unsheathing his sword was enough to remind me that even if I deserved to die, I was still human and I could feel pain and…

"Wait!" My hand flew out on its own, signalling him to stop.

"Your Majesty," Hans spoke in a warning tone.

"No, I just…" I was quick to start explaining myself, but the words I needed to say had buried themselves deep inside of me and I couldn't get them out at first.  
"I just ask that I may be allowed to do it myself."

There was a silence as Hans thought my request over. I pulled at my platinum blonde braid and bit down on my lower lip nervously.

"What if she has something planned?" one of the guards spoke in a low voice.

"She's too dangerous, we should just get it over with now," said another.

Hans lifted a gloved hand and ran it over his lips, closing his eyes as he tried to decide on whether or not to go through with the execution right there and then as he had originally planned and as the guards were advising him to do.

"Please," I begged. I placed a hand on my chest. "Please, this is my final request. I put my kingdom in danger and it is my responsibility to fix this."

Hans opened his eyes slowly and placed them on me, nodding. "Very well. How do you plan to proceed?"

"I think I know a way," I whispered.

I stepped forward hesitantly before walking out of my prison cell with Hans walking beside me and the guards following close behind. I made my way out of the castle, needing help from Hans to push the front doors open that were freezing shut. Trying my best to control my shaky breathing, I forced myself across the front court outside with heavy, dragging steps. I stopped in the middle and looked over at Hans who was waiting to see what I was about to do. There were quite a few of the townspeople gathering around and glaring at me, but their words sounded like white noise in my ears and so I couldn't hear what they were saying, even though some of them were shouting.

"Step back," I instructed Hans, quietly.

He nodded and did as he was asked, giving me plenty of room in the middle of the court to do what needed to be done. People were gathering around me and Hans started to explain to them what was happening.

I raised my hands slowly, palms facing upwards. I channelled my powers to make a pillar of blue ice rise up from the ground, lifting me up with it. I didn't let it stop growing until I could see over the castle gates. Arendelle. The kingdom I had abandoned and almost destroyed. I was ready to atone for what I had done to my people. To my poor sister.

"People of Arendelle," I looked down at the townspeople below me and called out with the little strength I had left.

Their murmuring faded in and out of my hearing as I struggled to speak.

"This winter… It is my fault. I am the cause of this destruction, and for that, I am so… so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. For a _life_ to be lost." my voice cracked and I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that were forming in the corners of my eyes.

"But now, I'm going to set things right. With me gone, this winter should end. And you will all be safe again."

I stretched my arms down and streams of ice glided out of my hands. I used them to make a bed of sharp spikes come up from the ground in front of the pillar I was standing on, each one about the height of my shoulders. The spaces between them were a decent length, but I was bound to fall on at least three of the spears. The mouths of the people staring up at me were moving frantically, but I still couldn't hear a word they were saying. For all I knew, they could have been screaming at me to stop what I was doing or angrily telling me to jump to my death. I found myself wondering if it would be better to fall on my front or on my back.

I closed my eyes and lost myself in what I knew were going to be my final thoughts. Memories of my parents ran on a loop inside my mind. My father's advice, my mother's comforting embrace. I saw my beautiful sister as a young child, grinning at me with a playful sparkle in her eyes. I heard the echo of her knocking on my bedroom door, quietly asking me to come out and talk to her, "Please, just this once, Elsa? Aren't you lonely in there all by yourself?" And now I truly was alone. _I'm so sorry, Anna. I promise I'll make up for shutting you out all this time. Please don't hate me, Anna. _

I knew it was time now. I knew I had to swallow my fear and do what needed to be done.

"Conceal… Don't feel…" I chanted silently, forcing myself to hide the dread building up inside me.

"Conceal… Don't feel…"

I shut my eyes tightly and drew in a deep breath, preparing myself to fall face-down.

"_Elsa, STOP!_"

My eyelids snapped open and I gasped, shuffling away from the edge of the pillar as I suddenly hearing a familiar voice break through the ringing sound in my ears. I looked down to see who it was and saw that everyone's heads were turned the same way, looking towards the castle doors. And there she was, staggering out of them. Even with her hair as white as snow and her face pale and covered in ice crystals, I recognised Anna immediately.

"Anna…? But I… but I thought you were…" I covered my mouth with my hands as tears fell down my cheeks.

"Elsa, what are you doing?!" Anna croaked as she made her way over to the foot of the ice pillar, clutching her chest.

She was obviously in a lot of pain and I could see that it took all her strength just to stand up. I wiped my eyes with my fingers and lifted my expression into a sad smile.

"Oh, thank goodness you're safe."

"Come on, g-get down from there," Anna stammered, shivering violently.

"No, don't worry about me. Someone needs to help you. Please… Please, can someone help my sister?" I called down.

"Elsa, just…" Through her blurred vision, Anna finally realised that she was standing in front of the huge ice spears shooting up from the ground.

A gasp clawed its way out of her throat and she stepped back.

"_Elsa! _No, Elsa, please come down! _Please!_" she screamed in her hoarse voice.

"Stand aside," Hans stepped up. "Queen Elsa has been charged with crimes worthy of the death penalty. She must be executed."

"You…" Anna turned slowly to glare coldly at the prince. "Let my sister g-go."

Hans ignored her. "Elsa, you said that you wanted to do this yourself. It's time, now."

"But wait! If the Queen didn't kill her sister, then isn't it wrong to carry out her sentence, now?" A man at the front of the still growing crowd spoke up.

There were a few others who expressed their opinions as well, all agreeing with the man.

"Elsa is a traitor!" Hans shouted suddenly, causing everyone to be silent. He cleared his throat and spoke in a more composed manner this time.  
"She is a traitor and so she needs to be-"

"No! Everyone, d-don't listen to him! Hans is the real traitor!" Anna strained to make her voice heard by everyone.

There was a hum of confused murmurs as the townspeople tried to understand what the young princess meant.

Hans allowed a dark expression to fall over his face before erasing it again. "Anna has fallen ill and she is confused. Obviously, it is Elsa's fault for bringing this eternal winter over us. She needs to be punished for her crimes."

"No…" Anna shivered. "No, he's wrong!"

"Anna, please," I spoke quietly, but still loud enough that my voice could reach her from my great height atop the ice pillar.

"This is the only way I can bring an end to this."

"Elsa, stop it," Anna nearly collapsed as she pressed a hand to her aching chest.

"Everyone! Look to Anna, now. I leave her in charge of Arendelle," I declared.

"Please…" My sister's voice got fainter each time she spoke.

"To all of you, I am so very, deeply sorry." I took a step towards the edge of the pillar, the tips of my shoes hanging over it.

"Stop it, Elsa…"

"And Anna… For everything…" I closed my eyes, letting my last tear slide down my ice-cold cheek.  
"I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"No…"

One heartbeat. One deep breath. Wind rushing past me. The spears below me getting closer even though I couldn't see them, my eyes frozen shut. My arms out like I was flying. My senses numbing.

"_NO!_"

I was jolted awake by the glass-shattering scream and looked down just in time to see Anna standing directly below me, in a gap between the spikes. Her hands were stretching up towards me. I fell into her arms, tucking my knees in to avoid my legs getting cut by the sharp points. And just before my weight and the force of my fall caused Anna to stumble backwards and possibly right into one of the ice spears, her entire body became encased in blue ice. I looked up at her face just in time to see a white cloud wisp out of her frozen lips as she breathed a final breath.

"_Anna!_" I screamed.

As I let my feet rest on the ground, my heart thudded hard against my chest as my breathing started to become loud and frantic. I was hysterical because my life had just been saved when I had only been inches away from death and I was grief-stricken and in shock because my sister had stopped moving. Anna was still holding me tightly in her stiff arms and I couldn't free myself if I tried, but I didn't want to. I raised my shaky hands to her shimmering blue face and touched her cheeks carefully.

"Anna! No… _No_, please… No…" I gasped and let out a cry of despair. "_Anna, come back!_"

I started looking around frantically at the townspeople who were standing there in silent shock, not knowing what to do or how to react. Even Hans looked stunned.

"Someone, please! Help her!" I pleaded. "Help my sister!"

But there was nothing anyone could do. We were all helpless. My lower lip quivered as I gave into my sobs again, my arms wrapped tightly around my frozen sister.

The castle gates opened and a few people turned their heads to see Kristoff sprinting through them. He ran through the crowd that parted for him and stopped short in front of the ice spears, his reindeer Sven galloping after him. A shocked and broken expression was plastered over Kristoff's face. Sven wanted to help immediately and started to use his antlers to break down the spears, cracking them in half so that the pointed ends fell to the ground and left only a bed of stumps. Olaf, who had been hiding by the castle doors, approached us slowly.

"Anna?" the little snowman spoke in a small voice.

The silence was only filled in by my broken sobbing as I embraced Anna's frozen form and it seemed to be endless. But then, suddenly I felt Anna's body slowly start to feel warmer and softer. Confused, I looked up at her, just in time to see the last of the ice around her body melt away. Anna started to breathe again and it was the happiest moment of my life. The platinum blonde streak in her hair had vanished and had returned to its radiant strawberry-blonde colour. Her cheeks were rosy and her blue eyes were glittering.

"Anna?"

She smiled at me and I threw my arms around her in the biggest hug I could give, never wanting to let my precious sister go ever again.

"Oh, Elsa…"

I pulled away a little and held her hands tightly in mine. "You sacrificed yourself for me? You… knew you were dying, and you still came to save me?"

"I love you," Anna said with all the honesty she had.

Olaf lifted his stick hands to his face and drew in a gasp of realisation. "An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart."

"Love will thaw…" I took in those words, trying to understand their meaning as deeply as I could.

It didn't take long before the answer dawned on me.

"_Love._ Of course…."

"Elsa?" Anna looked at me with eyes filled with child-like wonder as I let go of her hands and began to lift mine up.

"Love!" I smiled widely as I let the feeling fill me up inside, channelling all the love I had in my heart to melt the ice and snow around me.

I could feel that love growing. I loved my sister: She had always been there for me even when all I did was shut her out and she came to my rescue even if it meant sacrificing her own life. I loved my parents: They did everything they could to help me learn how to control my powers and I was sure that they would be proud of me for learning how to thaw the ice around me and let people in, even if it had taken a long time to do so. And finally, I had learned how to love myself: I wasn't a bad person. I never had been. It didn't have to hate myself anymore or fear my own powers or hide away from the world.

I was warmer now in more ways than one.


End file.
